Understanding Animal Welfare from Behavioural Perspectives
Biography
Born and bred in California, my journey from the West Coast to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences has been driven by a lifelong fascination with animal behavior. This fascination has evolved into a dedicated career at the intersection of animal welfare science, applied ethology, and clinical veterinary medicine.
Education
I hold a Doctor Agriculturae in farm animal ethology and a Cand. Scient. in Ethology, both from the Agricultural University of Norway. I have also completed formal teacher training and animal research certifications in Norway.
Research Interests
My research explores the behavioural and physiological foundations of animal welfare, with a particular focus on tail biting in pigs, behavioural development in poultry, and cognitive processes in both fish and birds. I am increasingly interested in applying artificial intelligence in research and teaching — for example, using AI to interpret emotional valence and contextual meaning in pig vocalisations .